Disco Kids storm Jackson Park

The Discover Bicycles kids’ mountain biking club now has a name. After taking suggestions and putting them to a vote, club organizers made it official; they are the Disco Kids.

Something like 70 Disco Kids gathered on the slick wet grass of Jackson Park Saturday morning for the first official club meeting and riding clinic.

The scene looked more like a circus than a meeting, with kids slipping, sliding and laughing their way in circles around temporary courses made from wooden obstacles. Parents and volunteers polka dotted around the park made for good obstacles as well, although stopping fast enough in the wet grass to avoid them seemed to be the real challenge.

Save for cold fingers, and a few slide outs and minor pile ups, the meeting went well. The Disco Kids had a blast and, as a cherry on top, everyone was treated to free Mike’s Ice Cream afterwards.

“We were overwhelmed by the community’s response to the club,” said organizer Jennifer Wilson. “The kids were troopers on Saturday. It was slick and muddy and everyone was great. Our whole goal is to get kids out there and enjoying riding their bikes. That definitely happened.”

The Disco Kids club is open to riders of all skill levels, from 5-12 years old and new members are encouraged to join at any time. The annual membership fee of $20 covers club insurance for each event.

Although some fun races will be held, the club is about coming together as a group of young riders, not about competing with each other.

“We believe that through the sport of mountain biking, young kids will have the opportunity to develop the skill, values and strategies that will guide them throughout their lives and enable them to succeed in school and in life,” Wilson commented. “Our goal is to spark the love of riding a bike outside in this wonderful community that we live in.”

Organizers of the Disco Kids would like to thank the following for their help in making the first club meeting a success: